You came back
by ClumsyMustache
Summary: I could make a thousand wishes but if I could choose just one to come true, I'd only wish for you


**I'm not an expert or anything on this topic, so I apologize for inaccurate statements.**

**I just watched the movie like...an hour ago lolo.**

_**~I could make a thousand wishes but if I could choose just one to come true, I'd only wish for you~**_

The Once-ler stared out the rickety old boarded window, his eyes dead and his heart heavy. He was nothing but a shell now, nothing left of him at all.

He was ruined. He had had everything he could've ever wanted, but somehow, his greedy, ignorant self wanted _more. _And this is how it resulted, all alone in a dark, empty room.

Then Ted Wiggins came, and the small boy gave the poor old Once-ler just a _little _hope. Hope that...maybe, just maybe things could get better.

But not for him. Not that it mattered anymore. He deserved this suffering. He deserved every bit of it. Oh how he missed all the barbaloot bears and their love for marshmallows. The singing fish that always lightened his mood and helped him stay in key. All the Swomee-Swans that ate the poker cards and agreed with him on everything(or so he liked to think).

But really, what _right _did he have to feel this pang in his heart? This empty feeling in him. The animals he thought as friends, were gone.

And it was all his fault.

His heart contradicted, a worser pang than before at the thought of the one above everyone, possibly even Pipsqueak.

The Lorax.

His old..._acquaintance, _as he liked to be called, tried to warn him. He tried to be nice about it and this is where it got the Once-ler. He missed the Lorax so much, he prayed to hear the annoying nags about the trees, he'd do anything to go back to what they once were.

But it was too late.

The Once-ler sighed, picking up his watering can. Through his misery, he couldn't help but let a small smile rest on his lips. The boy had done it. He had brought the trees back, something the Once-ler failed to do. The Once-ler opened the door quietly and walked out, humming an unknown tune while the water sprinkled out and onto the small growing trees that currently looked like dandelion seed heads. He continued to smile as he watered the precious little lives, nurturing the wasn't going to hurt another tree if his life depended on it. No one would be able to as long as he lived. He came upon another small truffula tree but stopped, his watercan falling to the ground in shock as he stared down at it.

It was the only orange truffle there, fluffy and soft with a hint of yellow. The Once-ler had dropped everything without even realizing it, soon collapsing to his knees as he crawled to it on his old bones, his eyes wide and soon tears coming to them.

"I-I-I..." He croaked, the tears trailing down his worn cheekbones, he was soon reduced to a pathetic lump on the ground, crying melancholy.

"I-I'm sorry..I'm so sorry.." He whispered to the small tree, knowing it would make no difference whatsoever. He pet the top of it while it blew softly in the wind, ruffling the fluffy leaves. He recoiled from the painfully bittersweet memories, staring down at the ground.

"_I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues." _

He froze in his pitiful state. He shook slightly as his eyes continued to stare at the ground, the tears flowing down his face becoming a puddle underneath him. He tensed as he pulled himself up off the ground, slowly turning around as his suit bottom bellowed behind him.

There, in all his orange-and you can't forget-yellow mustache glory, was The Lorax himself. He had a solicitous look on his face, a wistful smile planted on his furry lips.

"And they say thank you." The Lorax spoke solemnly. Though he looked as if he had not aged a day, his voice held the wisdom it had always had, maybe even more now.

"..." The Once-ler was at a lost for words. He continued to stare, his hands still somewhat shaking as the tears continued to pool in the corners of his eyes but not slide down to his beard any longer. Seeing this, the Lorax realized his own tears were pooling as he stared at his old dear friend.

"I-"

"I'm sorry!" The Once-ler's outburst shocked the Lorax into silence, staring at the old man in confusion. The Once-ler, now trembling more as hysterics racked his body, continued.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'm _so sorry! _I-I-I-" He choked, trying to save the remnants of the dignity he had. He hadn't realized they both had taken steps closer to each other each word, now right in front of each other. They immediately embraced each other in a friendly, loving hug. The Lorax's mustache tickled the Once-ler's cheek, giving him a reminiscing feeling in his stomach.

"No, dear friend, it is I who is sorry. I hadn't prevented the truffula tree extinction and therefore led you to...well this." The Lorax whispered, a smile on his face now that he was with his friend.

"You shouldn't blame yourself." The Once-ler reassured, pulling back to smile at his small friend. The Lorax offered an attempted grin, making the Once-ler and Lorax both laugh like old men, grinning crazily.

"I missed you." The Once-ler admitted, the pain in his voice evident. The Lorax nodded in agreement, turning away for a moment and taking a few steps away.

"W-wait! Where are you going?! You aren't leaving, are you?" The Once-ler asked in panic, about to have an attack. The Lorax shook his head with a smile, telling The Once-ler to wait. So he did. He watched as the Lorax did something with his 'natural powers', suddenly the already sunny sunshine seeming even..sunnier? The Once-ler didn't know, until he suddenly heard a quack. He looked up and there in the sky were the birds he use to know. He stared in amazement as they soared overhead, circling with if possible grins on their beaks.

"_La-La-Laaa~" _Harmonic voices caught his attention. The Once-ler looked down and saw the small Humming-Fish marching his way by the dozens, their own blissful smiles on their fishy faces. His heart swelled as he heard the rustles of the barbaloot bears, a sudden weight on his shoulder. He turned to look and noticed something brown blocking his vision. He pulled it off his face and was face to face with a squealing Pipsqueak. His whole being lightened up at the not-so-little-anymore bears face. He reached into his clean pocket and pulled out a packet of marshmallows, a few left over from when Ted brought them, and held them out for Pipsqueak. His eyes started to sparkle and he soon scampered off with his friends who surrounded him, fighting to get one. He chuckled, feeling so happy that he could explode. He looked over to the Lorax to see him glowing with happiness, a proud look in his eyes.

"You're so old now, geez!"

"Shut up, you're old too!" The Once-ler jabbed back playfully, laughing at the Lorax's reaction to that.

And then, they suddenly both grinned at the other, the same light in their eyes. They knew that from then on, everything would be okay.

And if not, it wouldn't matter, because they had each other.

_**The End.**_


End file.
